This year, Singapore’s Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) will lead a delegation of 14 Singapore media companies to MIPCOM 2016, presenting over 650 hours of compelling Asian stories across more than 40 titles. The companies represented range from animation and factual content producers such as One Animation, Monstrou Studio and ActiveTV Asia; to content distributors like Sunrise Entertainment and Ying Group.
Over the past year, the Asian film and television industry has seen strong growth, rising prominence, and international recognition for its talent and content. The newly-formed IMDA was established to keep pace with the growth in Asia and the rest of the world, further harnessing the opportunities arising from media convergence to spur new innovations in media and technology.
Presenting over 650 hours of diverse content, IMDA has a wide range of content for the global audience.
Barangay 143 is an original animated series about a lost youngster in search of a father, and how he finds an unlikely family in a team of misfits. Set against the action-packed world of street basketball, this story on love and family is co-produced by August Media Holdings (Singapore) and Synergy88 Entertainment Media (Philippines), and is slated to be completed in 2017. Barangay 143 will be available for distribution in both English and Tagalog.
Two coastlines, two visions, one big adventure! An iconic race across the Land of the Morning Calm, Going Koastal features two adventurous hosts as they trek 2,413km along the coastline of South Korea, discovering the diverse cultures, foods, festivals and geography along the peninsula. This travel series is being developed by IO Creative (Singapore) and Mountain TV (Korea), and has already gained interest from international broadcasters around the world.
Few anticipated titles to look forward in 2017 and beyond
The Adventures of Sherlock Sam follows the mystery-solving exploits of smart, observant, food-loving, 10-year-old, Samuel Tan Cher Lock – Singapore’s greatest kid (a.k.a. Sherlock Sam). Singapore-based August Media Holdings announced last week a licensing agreement with Singapore publisher Epigram Books to adapt the award-winning children’s book for TV and Film, and the series will be available in 2018, starting with three languages – English, Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia.
Look at My Wedding is a fresh lifestyle programme looking at everything it takes to make a good wedding memorable. It features exotic destinations include Bali, Byron Bay, Perth, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore and Jakarta, and is slated to be completed in 2017 by TVS Asia and Sunrise Entertainment.
Salam Ramadhan UK & Salam Ramadhan Korea follows the lives of Muslims living in the United Kingdom and Korea, and how they observe Ramadhan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. The brand new info-edutainment series presents the narratives of individuals from these local communities in an engaging and entertaining fashion, and is expected to be completed in 2017. Both series are produced by Monstrou Studio, in association with Clover Sky.
The Big Idea is a feature documentary with a focus on the new innovations and advances in science and technology happening at breakneck speed. Distributed by Singapore’s national broadcaster, Mediacorp, it attempts to distil the very technologies we believe have the potential to impact our lives.
Combining motoring insights with charismatic high-profile celebrities from across Asia, Celebrity Car Wars is a new highly-entertaining reality series by ActiveTV Asia. Each hour-long episode follows the journeys of the guest celebrities as they are coached and cajoled by experts and put through challenges – while leaving viewers with motoring knowledge in an animated and entertaining manner.
In Big Food, host Greta Georges discovers what it takes to make, manage and move massive amounts of food. This larger-than-life television series, produced by The Moving Visuals Co., will see her travelling the globe in search of the giants of the catering world – from a paella competition in Spain, a free kitchen feeding 80,000 people a day in Punjab, to a wedding for 1,400 guests in Singapore!
Spearheading Singapore and Asia’s transition into a new media landscape and digital economy, is the timely formation of the newly-mined IMDA. Launched on 1 October, 2016 following the restructuring of the Info-communications Development Authority (IDA) and the Media Development Authority (MDA), IMDA will create a robust ecosystem to support innovation, transformation, and creation of content for business and for the community.
Networking opportunities at MIPCOM 2016
International trade partners can network with the Singapore delegation during Singapore Hour, taking place on Monday 17 October, 4pm – 5pm at the Singapore Pavilion (P-1.C16, P-1.D15). Highlights of the upcoming Singapore Media Festival 2016 will also be available then.
The Singapore Media Festival
Rounding off the series of international media events at the end of the year is the Singapore Media Festival, held in Singapore from 23 November through 9 December 2016.
A flagship annual event led by IMDA- SMF is Southeast Asia’s leading international media event which celebrates the importance of good storytelling from Asia. SMF brings together established events across film, TV and digital, such as the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), Asian Television Awards (ATA), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), and ScreenSingapore (SS).
Recognising the abundant opportunities in the digital content industry, SMF 2016 will introduce a new keystone digital event, SMF Ignite. It will cast the spotlight on digital trends, bringing together digital content creators to learn, experience and create.